Sarasota Set To Welcome Back The Powerboat Grand Prix

June 14, 2023 – Sarasota

The countdown is underway to the 39^th annual P1 Offshore Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix on the weekend of June 30-July 2 when residents and visitors can enjoy world class marine motorsport action along Lido Beach. Presented by Visit Sarasota County and again produced by Powerboat P1, the free to watch event will attract more than sixty powerboat racing teams from Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.

The event will kick off at 6.00pm on Friday evening with a pit party featuring live music from Andy Velo, live remote radio broadcast, food trucks and local vendors. There will also be the opportunity to meet the race teams and view the boats up-close. Racing on the 6-mile course at Lido Beach will begin at 1.00pm on Saturday, with the qualifying session for the exhilarating Class 1 powerboats at 2.00pm, and on Sunday the action will get underway at 10.00am with the fleet of Class 1 boats on the water at 1.00pm. VIP hospitality tickets offering superb viewing from the beach front hospitality tent on both race days are available from the P1 Offshore website (www.p1offshore.com).

Pete Harvey, Director of Sports for Visit Sarasota County said: “We are thrilled to welcome back the Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix for its 39th year in Sarasota County,” said Pete Harvey, Director of Sports for Visit Sarasota County. “As one of the county’s most anticipated annual events, the Powerboat Grand Prix draws enthusiastic crowds from both near and far, capturing the attention of visitors and residents alike. Beyond the thrill and excitement of the event, it plays a vital role in driving economic growth in our region by attracting a diverse range of attendees, which generates a significant surge in tourism and spending within the community.”

Powerboat P1 CEO, Azam Rangoonwala commented: “Our aim is to deliver outstanding race action and entertainment. We are very much aware that sports tourism plays a major role in the local economy and in addition to attracting visitors to the city we will help to raise the profile of the Sarasota region through our television broadcast deals. These include CBS Sports Network and Bally Sports Regional Networks in the United States and global coverage on leading sports channels. P1 will also be actively involved with environmental initiatives that will include joining forces with Audubon Florida’s coastal bird stewardship program to highlight the colony of protected black skimmers that nest on Lido Key. We have developed a corporate environmental policy and implement effective programs as an integral part of our business strategy. Over race weekends, we monitor marine animal activity in the race area with observers on boats, on the land and in a helicopter reporting any sightings such as dolphins, manatees and turtles, and they have the authority to stop the racing if necessary.”  

“Sarasota is our biggest race event of the year and we’re delighted to be returning with Visit Sarasota County as our presenting partner,” added P1 USA Championship Manager, Michelle Petro. “Sarasota is an idyllic venue with a rich, storied history of powerboat racing. We will be celebrating a special milestone on the Saturday when we stage our 700^th race since we began racing twenty years ago. I’m keen for fellow Floridians and tourists to experience everything that the Grand Prix weekend has to offer.”  

Sarasota is the second longest-running powerboat grand prix in the United States and for decades the racing has been a unique, prestigious summer event that brings significant value to the community. It generates millions of dollars in economic impact every year with up to 16,000 room nights, and the national and international television coverage showcases the city’s many attractions to an audience of around 230 million homes.